Garden Calendar May 2017

White Italian Eggplant

Sicilian Graffiti Eggplant

Asian Orange Eggplant

Classic Black Eggplant

May

Summer is on its way … dig in!

PLANTINGPlant gourd seeds with plenty of room to sprawl or train on a trellis or fence.Sow seeds for warm-season vegetables such as chiles, cucumbers, melons, okra, pepper, squash and tomatillos.Plant drought-tolerant perennials such as chocolate flowers, lantana, Mexican primrose and gazania.Plant warm-season annuals that will take the heat, such as ageratum, gaillardia, sunflower, zinnia, tithonia, coreopsis and cosmos.

FERTILIZINGFertilize citrus and palms at the end of the month.Feed cacti with a cactus fertilizer or an all-purpose type diluted to half strength.

WATERINGCheck your irrigation system for leaks and damaged emitters.Readjust your watering schedule for the warmer weather.Water lawns in the morning to avoid fungal growth.Water roses deeply, fertilize and spread mulch around roots.

PRUNINGPrune back salvia plants to promote denser growth.Do not prune the lower branches of citrus trees because this foliage shades the trunk.

PREPARINGPut away your smaller containers and exchange them for larger ones for the warmer months.

TIP OF THE MONTHEggplant is a warm-season annual related to tomatoes, It gets its name from early varieties that were small, oval and white, resembling hens’ eggs. New varieties produce fruit of different sizes, shapes and colors. The large purple variety is most commonly found in groceries. Oriental varieties tend to be elongated and slender, with a thinner, more delicate skin.The raw fruit is tough, with a somewhat bitter taste, but it becomes tender when cooked. Many recipes advise salting and draining to reduce bitterness and the amount of oil absorbed. Eggplant is versatile and can be roasted, grilled, baked, stewed, stuffed, braised, mashed, pickled, breaded and fried. It is an essential ingredient in Italian ratatouille and Middle Eastern babaganoush.Eggplant is a frost tender, heat loving, plant that grows best in temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees — it’s easy to grow in the low desert. HG